By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency
Bohol's grandest Filipino-Chinese economic patron and adopted son, Special envoy Carlos Chan of the Liwayway (international) Corporation Ltd. recently earned the Presidential Medal of merit for his important contribution in strengthening Philippines-China relations, Malacanang reports said.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo personally conferred the award to Chan in recognition for his outstanding service and selfless commitment especially in helping the country weld its relations with China, Chan’s mother country.
Chan’s feat, bolstered by his position as the Philippine’s special envoy for trade and investment to China, he played a crucial role in promoting trade relations between the two countries and governments as well as attracting Chinese investments and tourists here.
Though born in the Philippines, Chan, also a veritable economic and arts patron of Bohol has also been building a crucial tie between Bohol and China fostering twinning agreements between the province and Jiangxi, years ago.
Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan formally adopted him as son and went as far as declaring a May 8 as a special day for Bohol-Jiangxi, it being now the friendship day, said Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera, citing its recognition for his feat.
Chan heads the Philippines Soong Chin Ling Foundation and sits as a member of the Jiangxi Economic Advisory Council.
He partnered with the country’s diplomatic missions in China and was instrumental in the 2006 Presidential visit to Nanchang and Naning and the later working visit in Shanghai, Malacanang sources said.
For the country, he was considered a key figure in the planning and construction of the Philippine Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The pavilion would showcase the Philippines as an attractive investment destination.
For Bohol, Chan, who has been working with the Loboc Children’s Choir worked for the airing of the island’s tourist attractions in China’s television commercials. Chan used the talents of the internationally acclaimed “Loboc kids†in his products jingle commercials.
Awed by the choir’s singing prowess, he donated for them, a multi-million Loboc Children’s Theater, which President Arroyo inaugurated in August, helped organize and equip the Loboc Youth Band in partnership with local musicians and dipped his pockets again to fund an ambitious river bank lighting project which was reportedly already on the drawing boards.
Chan also donated for the ambitious Bohol Diagnostic Center, in support for the health and well being of the Boholanos, said Gov. Erico Aumentado.
Chan did this for Bohol tourism and went in assisting Capitol in beckoning more Chinese investors.
“Rest assured that we will do our best to support your project of promoting Philippine tourism in China,†he assured Aumentado and President Arroyo, according to newspaper reports quoting from one of their formal meetings’ proceedings.
Moreover, Chan’s company is eyeing technical assistance to local farmers in potato production, the base for his Oishi products.
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